Let Us Examine Injustice In The World - And Then God’s Perspective On It Series

LET US EXAMINE INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD - AND THEN GOD’S PERSPECTIVE ON IT

INTRODUCTION TO THE SUBJECT

In the KJV of the bible, {{1 John 1 v 9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In the Holman version it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”}} The only difference between those two translations is one word, the one the KJV uses, “just”, and the one Holman uses, which is “righteous.” The NASB also uses “righteous” while the NIV and ESV use “just”.

The Greek word is “righteous” but can also be translated as just. It means “judicially approved by God.” God can accept the sinner, because in His eyes, the sinner is righteous. The word relates to the standard of “rightness” which is what God is, so all His evaluation is according to the standard of rightness. That is the biblical position of what is just and righteous. From that we get righteousness and justice. Justice stems from being in a state of rightness; made right with God.

Justice is a word used so often in the scriptures. People cry out for justice when they are oppressed, otherwise they go about their sinful lives oppressing others, or are happy to disregard the injustice done to others, if it is not affecting them. Injustice and disregard are first cousins.

The bible contains many descriptions of God and the best known of these are, “God is love”, and “God is holy”, but there are some others that people like to dismiss. They are, “God is Just” and “God is a righteous God”. The moment we mention those two, we draw the net in and touch on the accountability of man, and the responsibility of man before a holy and righteous God. That now is a serious issue, for each person is accountable before God for his and her actions. That leads into this next description of God – “God is a consuming fire” – James. We then move into the area of judgement because justice, holiness and righteousness will all have their day.

INVESTIGATING JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE

There are two great days for God’s justice, holiness and righteousness; one that’s past and one that’s to come. The one that’s past is the greatest of all. It was Calvary where the justice or righteousness of God met sin face on. God’s judgement was poured out on sin and it hit the Saviour full on when He became sin for us. The wonderful thing for us is that the wrath stemming from God’s just and righteous judgement, was fully satisfied, but only through the sacrificial Lamb who took my sin. Paul states it this way in a verse we all know very well: {{2Corinthians 5 v 21 “He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”}} We have been made righteous. We are justified. We probably know this, but it has remained with me over the years when I heard it in my teens, “Justified means ‘just as if I’d never sinned.’”

He was made sin for me. The depth of that is immense and Christian poets took it up more in the past than now, for some church singing has degenerated into repetitive ditties of meaninglessness, and phrases just jumbled together without any proper theme, sometimes with the cacophony of clashing cymbals and banging drums. Around 1865 Anne Ross Cousins wrote a poem that became a hymn that is still popular in places. I want to read it for it suits this subject very well but I will change most of the older pronoun forms and a few other expressions:

1 O CHRIST, what burdens bowed Your head!

Our load was laid on You;

You stood there in the sinner's stead -

To bear all ill for me.

A victim led, Your blood was shed;

Now there's no load for me.

2 Death and the curse were in our cup -

O Christ, 'twas full for You!

But You have drained the last dark drop,

'Tis empty now for me.

That bitter cup - love drank it up;

Left but the love for me.

3 Jehovah lifted up His rod -

O Christ, it fell on You!

You were forsaken of Your God;

No distance now for me.

Your blood beneath that rod has flowed:

Your bruising has healed me.

4 The tempest's awful voice was heard,

O Christ, it broke on You;

Your open bosom was my ward;

It bore the storm for me.

Your form was scarred, Your visage marred;

Now cloudless peace for me.